What's A Guy To Do?
by A.Z-JusticE
Summary: RyoxSaku. She's lost her memory; she only remembers Kaidoh! What's worse is that she hates Ryoma!
1. chap 01

Hey everyone, well I guess it's another story.  I don't feel that it's that good, because I can't really get my mind off the Tezu-Saku one hahah.  But I kind of felt the urge to write something like this so, here's bits and pieces of it.  A while to go before completion.  Just a short note to tell you that the first few chapters won't have much of Ryoma's thoughts, they'll come in, in later chapters, so bear with me please.  Reviews and all comments are welcome.  I love those, they help write.  Any mistakes or suggestions please point out of make them!!

**Chapter 1**

_I wonder how she's doing.  She's been in that place for a week now.  What could be wrong with her?  Should I pay her a visit?  Yeah, I guess so.  It's not like she'll be awake to see me anyway.  I'll just drop by._

Echizen Ryoma had arrived home, growled at his father for making some perverted comment, went upstairs and lay on his bed.  Now that he had finally decided to pay his class mate a visit, he  walked downstairs and began slipping on his shoes.

"Oi shounen, where do you think you're going?" for once his dad had his head out of those magazines.

"Out." 

"If you're going to visit that old hag's grand daughter, your mother made cakes, so bring it."

_He seems to know everything._

His cousin came out and handed him the box.

"Hai, Ryoma-kun.  You should at least change into something else." She said.

He looked down.  There was nothing wrong with his uniform so he walked out the door.  

**

When he allocated her room in the hospital, he was about to knock when Kaidoh-senpai came striding out.  They stood face to face glaring at each other.

"Oi Echizen ka?  Get in here, took you long enough!"  Momo-senpai's voice rang out.

_What on earth?  Kaidoh-senpai and Momo-senpai visited her TOGETHER??_

He stepped in and instead of relief washing over him, he looked strickened.  All of the Seigaku regulars were in there.  And there sat in the middle of them was the girl he came to visit.  He was taken aback that she was actually awake.  He heard she had been unconscious for a while.

"Nyaa Ryuzaki-chan, daijoubu desu ka??? Don't worry I'm here!" Kikumaru Eiji put his arm around the petite girl and hugged her like a teddy bear.

"Da-daijoubu.  Arigato." She  said in that usual small voice.

_At least she's ok._

"Ryoma, come in.  Let Kaoru go out for a while." Ryuzaki-sensei beckoned him.  They two guys glared at each other before heading different ways.

"From my mother." He stuck out his arm and gave the box to sensei.

"Arigato."  He moved to sit on a chair.  He then glanced around the small crowded room.  Kikumaru-senpai was still hugging her and talking to her with excitement.  Fuji-senpai sat at the foot of the bed and continued smiling;  Kawamura-senpai sat beside Ryuzaki-sensei and observed.  Oishi-senpai stood beside Kikumaru-senpai; Inui senpai stood in the corner muttering to himself, and Tezuka-buchou stood at the foot of the bed surveyed Kikumaru's blabbering.

"Echizen!" Momo-senpai sat down beside him and threw his arm over his shoulders.  "Now it's a full house." He grinned.

"What's wrong with him?" Ryoma asked jerking his head towards the door, where Kaidoh stood before.

Momo-senpai started on a laughing tirade and couldn't stop.

_She looks completely overwhelmed.  And she didn't even say hi to me.  She always did that….wait she hasn't even looked my way yet._

"Okay, okay.  Mamushi." He became serious.  "It seems that Ryuzaki-chan is suffering from minor memory loss."  
  
"Nani?!"  Momo nodded.  

"And the ONLY person she recognises is that Mamushi.  She was holding onto his hand pretty tightly.  He's embarrassed." Momo snorted and laughed hard again.

But…

_Memory loss??__ It's all gone?  Kaidoh-senpai?? Only him? What does that mean?_

"You look pretty shocked.  I thought you knew already."

"I—"

"Ryuzaki-chan da-me!"  Kikumaru said loudly.  

"Yada…I'm going to go look for him." She said settling her feet to the ground.  

"I'll go look for him for you." Oishi said.  Just as he moved to go, the door opened and Kaidoh entered with a doctor.

He saw her eyes brighten, then she went and stood behind him for protection.  He stood rooted in one spot wearing his jogging attire.  The doctor went to talk to Ryuzaki-sensei.  

He half heard what the doctor was saying, but he could only stare at her.  She stood behind Kaidoh, clutching tightly onto the back of his black singlet.  

"I believe, he could have been the last person she saw before she was hit by the car." He heard the doctor saying.   "So the last moments before she became unconscious, she can only register the people she saw at that moment."  
  


Kaidoh sank down into a crouch and held his head.  Compared to Kaidoh, she stood tiny beside him.  Now that he was crouching, she laid her palm on his back and surveyed the people in the room.

"I'm afraid this young man will be the only person she'll be comfortable with for a short while."  Suddenly they heard deep breathing and gasping at the same time and all eyes turned to Kaidoh on the ground.

"Sakuno! Sakuno." Ryuzaki-sensei went over to her grand daughter.  She had fainted right on to Kaidoh's back, shocking him to an extent he almost choked.  Finally he came to his senses and just piggy packed her back to bed.

After she was tucked in, the doctor checked on her.  

"Let's give her about two days rest, with medication, then she can return to her normal daily activities, so she can get used to it again.  Of course, if you wish for her to have more rest, then that will be fine also."

_Two days?  That means I can see her in two days then.  We'll have a nice fresh start again…But two days, it's a bit too early for her.  She's usually so soft…and weak.  Is two days enough?_


	2. chap 02

**Chapter 2**

"Hayaku!!" An extremely impatient Sakuno hurried the stranger who called was her grandmother.

"Hai hai." She answered wearily.  Her granddaughter had been awfully energetic for someone who had just been in an accident, and further more, she seems even more energetic that she used to be.  She was energetic, but uneasy in her own household, and was looking forward into seeing Kaidoh again.

She ran ahead of her grandmother, knowing that she had to go to the tennis courts, but she couldn't recall where it was.

"Mou…I'm lost…"she murmured. She turned around and bumped into Echizen.

"Itai!! Gomen…" she said while rubbing her nose.

He had approached her quietly, not expecting her to turn around so suddenly.  The tennis prince was happy to see her, but couldn't find anything to say, so finally.

"Oi, what are you doing here?" he asked in a cold voice.

"I'm looking for the tennis courts."

"Mada mada dane.  It seems that you're the same.  You never were able to find the courts anyway." He said before he was able to stop himself.  

_Shimatta.__  It was suppose to be anew start._

She narrowed her eyes at him, something she never used to do.

"I don't know who you are, but that comment was unnecessary." She turned around and walked off.

"I'll show you the way." He said, following her.

"You don't need to concern yourself!  I'll find it on my own!" she said without turning back.

Echizen stood there stunned.  _Is that really Sakuno?  Since when did she act like that?  She was always soft spoken and never raised her voice at people…at me._

"Mou!!" Sakuno fumed as she took quick strides.  She rounded a corner and twice within one morning bumped into another person, except this person she fell back landing on her bottom.

"Ksssshh…" Kaidoh turned around and saw her.  She looked extremely annoyed, something he found interesting.  He went and crouched down beside her,

"Doushita." He said in his low rough voice.

"Ah Kaoru-nii" she exclaimed, forgetting her anger.

_Kaoru-nii?!!_ He raised his eyebrows at her.

"I accidentally bumped into this boy, and he made a stupid comment at me." She told him.

"Da-re." It was an odd sight, the viper that every first year, and some second year students were afraid of, and he re he was crouching beside a cute little girl talking to her.

"Mou…wakannai…AHHHH!!! Him!!" She spotted Echizen entering the courts, and pointing at him accusingly.

"Yarou." Kaidoh hissed.  He wasn't sure whether it was because his normal dislike for the boy, or the fact that he had annoyed this helpless little girl.  Keeping his eyes on Echizen, he took her upper arm and helped her up.

They entered the courts and she sat down on the edge of the court leaning against the fence.  Someone called Tezuka-buchou was giving them instructions and he had his back to her.  Everyone eyed her smiling, and she returned them with a smile just as big, until her eyes caught that his.

She narrowed her eyes again, and turned and faced another direction.

_That look she gave me is as good as a slap._  Echizen thought.  _I guess I got off on the wrong start._  

Everyone had gone off running laps, and only the captain and Sakuno were left.  He turned and face, momentarily forgetting she was there.  They looked at each other in silence.  The silence dragged on for endless minutes until her eyes brightened when she spotted a cat.  She ran and picked it up.

"Neko-chan, kawaii ne."   She returned to her place holding the cat in her arms.  It mewed happily as she began scratching it.

Soon everyone filed in one after another, due to the end of the run.  Kaidoh was panting and sat down hard on the ground.  Sakuno scooted over.

"Neh Kaoru-nii, hora." She held the cat out to him.  He came back to life when she showed him the cat.  He had a liking for animals, but for some reason they always grew nasty with him.  He sat and stared at the cat that was being held under the arms.  Suddenly, swipe!  It scratched him across the face.

"TE-ME!!" he yelled.  He stood up, as if he was on fire.  The cat scooted out of Sakuno's arms and into the bushes. Sakuno burst into giggles.  Luckily for him, the scratch didn't leave much but a few lines of dirt.

Everyone looked over to see a fired up Kaidoh, and a hysterical Sakuno.

"How could she be laughing when he looks so pissed of?" Arai asked his friend, almost afraid for the little girl.

Kaidoh looked down at the dark haired girl as she laughed until she was holding her stomach, she then fell back onto her back and accidentally hit her head.

"Itai!" she held her head, forgetting she had to be careful, she lay there for a few moments as the pain surged through her.

"Oi Doushita!!" he knelt down in a hurry.

"Sakuno-chan, you should go to the infirmary." Fuji appeared out-no-where, startling Kaidoh.  The prodigy knelt down on her other side, and helped her up gently.

"Daijoubu desu." Sakuno laughed softly and held her head.

"Kaidoh, take her to the infirmary." The captain's voice said.

_Don't these guys have footsteps?_ Kaidoh thought, being startled for the second time.

Silently obeying an order from his senpai, he turned around and allowed Fuji to place a fragile Sakuno on his back.

"Ja.." he breathed and left the courts.

"Why isn't anyone warming up?!" Tezuka turned back and commanded, seeing everyone stand there eyes wide, and mouths open.

Arai slapped his friend in the head.

"What was that for?!!" 

"It's not a dream then.  Kaidoh-senpai, what's wrong with him?  I've never seen him like that before…" silent chatter about Kaidoh and Sakuno rippled through the team members.

Echizen hid under his cap.  _Why him?  Why couldn't she have remembered me?  Does that mean he was important to her?  That's ridiculous, she was more scared of him than she was of the captain.  Yarou…why is he so nice all of a sudden._

Although he was frustrated and kind of angry, he couldn't help but feel sad.  Unknown even to his own mind, he had developed feelings for the cute girl some time ago.  He was always finding subtle ways to talk to her, to be with her, and now she hated him.  He had stood a chance back then, but now it seemed further away than ever.


	3. chap 03

**Chapter 3**

Four days later, Sakuno was recovering slowly, she had settled in and had been re-aquainted with everyone.  All week her friends tried their best to help her remember things.  She too tried her best, but she still stuck beside Kaidoh whenever she could.

He didn't particularly enjoy it, but didn't do much to keep her away.  And because she was with Kaidoh all the time at tennis practise, Echizen couldn't find a moment to talk to her.  He only watched her from a distance.

Sakuno hung around at the front gates after school, waiting for her grandmother to finish work so they could head home together.  She sat on a brick wall and swung her legs back and forth, humming.  

She saw someone coming her way.  Her eyes brightened.  _Kaoru-nii!  But isn't he in training right now?_  She didn't care, she jumped down and ran up to him.

"Kaoru-nii." She said breathing slightly hard.

"Eh..Ah.." the black haired boy was caught off guard.

She moved her face up close to his.  "Kaoru-nii janakute…" she murmured.

"Kaoru is my brother.  I'm Kazue." He replied.

"You do look a lot like him, except….just not as scary." She finally said.  Kazue laughed at her honesty.

"Gomen, Kazue-kun." She bowed.

"Sakuno!" 

"Hai, obaa-chan.  Mata ne, Kazue-kun." She gave a quick wave and ran off in the other direction. 

"Matte." But she was already gone.

"Oi, Kazue, what are you doing here?" Kaidoh stood behind his brother and asked.

"Uh, nii-san.  I just met this girl, she thought I was you.  She went home with her grandmother just now."

"Ksshhh."

"Who is she? She's really cute, nii-san.  I know she's not your girlfriend because she called you Kaoru-nii.  Hehh, since when did you allow such a thing?  Tell me who is she!" Kazue nagged his brother.

"Why don't you ask her yourself?!" Kaidoh growled.

"I will then." Kazue vowed.

**** The next afternoon ****

Kazue stood in front of Seishun Gakuen waiting for Sakuno to make her appearance.  And as he hoped, she came out alone.

"Yo." He waved.

"Konnichi wa, Kazue kun. " she walked up to him.

"You…going home?" he asked.  She nodded.  "Where's your grandmother?"

"She said I can go ahead. Naze ka?"

"……………..I'll walk you home!" he blurted out.  Her eyes softened.

"Arigato." She said softly.

"Y-you're not scared?...I mean I am a stranger to you… and I guess I don't even know your name." he said embarrassingly.

"Oh, Ryuzaki Sakuno tou moshimasu.  I think I will be ok, because you're Kaoru-nii's brother.  He's a nice person, so you would be too, right?" she said cheerfully.

Kazue looked at this little beauty.  _How carefree and innocent she is.  Her trust in people is so great.  I think I'm falling for her._

**** Morning after the walk****

"Why is it that Kazue kun, goes to a different school?" she questioned Kaidoh the following morning.

"It was what he wanted."

"Kaoru-nii no ototo wa hontou ni yasashii na hito desu ne." Sakuno said.  He was seated on the ground stretching before his warm up match.

"Cheh." He muttered.

"Kaoru-nii wa onaji desu." She added.  Kaidoh's cheeks reddened at the unexpected compliment.

"Ja." He said.  He grabbed his racket when it was his turn to warm up.

She sat there and watched his match.

_She's alone.  Finally.  I'll go talk to her._

_  
_

"Yo, Sakuno." Echizen said setting his racket down and sat down beside her.

"Echizen-kun." She said.  She had learnt his name through the team mates calling each others name during practise.  She never used it unless they were in an argument, which had become quite frequent in the past few days.

"How are you…?" he asked hesitantly, choosing his words in case he angered her.

_It's strange, I never used to want to talk to her, and now that she doesn't want to talk to me, I have this urge to carry a conversation.  Her fiery personality is catching me, even though I did fall for her soft and gentle ways.  Everytime she gets angry, it intrigues me more._

"I'm better." She said answering to his referral of her injuries.

"Have you remembered much?" he asked hoping that she would at least remember him.

"Mmmm…Not much" she stretched her shoulders.

"Sou…" she detected a hint of sadness in his voice, but couldn't be sure about it.

"What were you talking about with Kaidoh-senpai?  If it's not too personal.  You get along with him well."

"Kaoru-nii?  Mm..I don't know about getting along with him, because he doesn't really talk."

"He's like that.  You're the only person that can talk to him like that, and be around him everyday." Echizen said bluntly.

She smiled.  It felt nice to carry a conversation with this boy who sat behind her in class without arguing.  She felt a warm tingle in her stomach.  

_Maybe he's not such a bad person._

"We were, well I was talking about Kaoru-nii's brother."

"Brother?" _He has one?_

"Hai.  I was telling him how nice, Kazue kun was." She said not aware that she had triggered something.

"H-how do you know he's nice."

"He walked me home yesterday.  He's a very sweet person.  He looks a lot like Kaoru-nii, just not as vicious." She giggled.

"He walked you home did he?!" a fiery look came over Echizen.  She stopped giggling and looked at him.

"Te-me.!" He growled.  She looked shocked for a few moments.

"Neh!  Why do you have to call him that?!  You don't even know him, don't judge people like that!" she stood up and glared at him.

"Well neither do you!  How could you let a stranger accompany you like that!  You're a girl!" he stood up and they stood face to face.

"You are so old-fashioned!  Are you saying that a girl can't befriend anyone, just because she's female?!  That's so sexist!" her voice grew louder.

_God! It wasn't what he meant at all! All he meant that it was dangerous for her to go off with a stranger, because she was so trusting, so gentle, so beautiful.  What would he do if something happened to her? _

"That's not what I meant!" 

"Then what did you mean huh? Since I've met you, all you do is sit quietly and glare at people.  'Mada mada dane' is all you ever say!  Just because you're good at tennis doesn't put you can look down on people like that!  You provoke people unnecessarily, and call people names when you don't even know them!" she yelled at him, her face flushed.  Everyone had stopped what they were doing and stared at the two first year students.

"Why can't you just be nice and honest for a change! Why can't you just say why certain things or people annoy you, why do you call them things that are insulting? If you're angry, sad or jealous just say so!"  she couldn't stop once she was on her tirade.

"To hell with being jealous!  What's there to be jealous about? You can go see him all you like. It doesn't look like you care much for your lost memories do you?!" he fired back.  She grew unexpectedly quiet.

"I do care.  Do you know what it's like to lose your memories?  Memories are all you have to know that you've lived a life!  I can't remember anyone or anything, do think it's fun living day by day with a blank space in your mind?  If I can't remember it for the time-being, why can't I make new ones to rebuild and find old memories in those new ones?!"

It was his turn to go quiet.

"Why won't you allow it…Why won't you?" she whispered tears slipping off her chin, before she turned and ran away.

He stared at the spot she had stood at before.  

_How had it come to this.  All I wanted was to show that I cared for her. Did she have to yell like that? Why can't she see? What do I have to do?_

He picked up his racket and walked with anger and frustration out of the courts.

"Nyah…she really told him off."  Kikumaru said to himself.

"Eiji, let's continue." Oishi said.

"But..o-chibi must be feeling sad." Kikumaru said sadly.

"I've never seen her like that before, he must've really done it this time. Baka-yarou." Momo said.

"Kshhhhh." _Yarou__…he made her cry._

Unexpectedly Kaidoh had become rather fond of the little girl who had become attached to him.  He even knew where she went when she was sad or upset, and planned to go by there later.

"Let's all have a nice drink of Inui's deluxe penal tea to brighten up the mood." Inui suggested.  Everyone glared at him.

"Don't even pull one like that on us!!" Kikumaru yelled._  
_


	4. chap 04

**_Hi everyone!  Sorry it's been a while since update.  Really stuck with school and stuff.  Anyways, here a few so enjoy._**

****

**_Oh and thanks for pointing out.  I haven't been able to watch more than 72 eps so I wasn't exactly sure what Kaidoh's brother's name was.  I thought it was Kazue, and didn't know how old he was, so I just made it to fit with my story line.  But no worries it's fixed in this chapter!_**

****

**_Oh and for some who gets annoyed at me for switching between the Sakuno and Ryuzaki thing.  I do that for a purpose.  I'll explain someday haha, too hard to put into writing now._**

****

**_And one last thing!  I'm really sorry about putting in too much Japanese some time.  They're really common terms to me so I didn't consider that everyone might not know it.  So I'll fix those things up, and I'll minimise the Japanese!_**

**Chapter 4__**

****

Kaidoh stood at the hedges of the overgrown bushes and wondered whether he should go through to see if she was there or not.  He stood there staring at the vines and branches blankly, causing a few female students to stare curiously and giggle at his absent actions.  

He finally decided not to go in and pivoted to leave, when he distinctly heard some choked up coughing and sniffles.

_Damnit__.__  Just this once, I'll do it._

He got crouched down and got on all fours and crawled through an extremely small opening to the other side of the tangles grassy barricade.  

There she was, scrunched up into a tight ball, with her head in her knees.  She stared at him as if she didn't recognise him at first, but then she bounded to her feet and went over to him.  He was grunting and was making noises in his throat due to frustration about not being able to get through.  Finally he made it through and just sat back breathing heavily.

_Damnit__, that was harder than training._

"Kaoru-nii…." She said sitting beside him.  They sat in silence, until her sobs started up again softly.

He looked at her.  She couldn't see his expression because her back was turned to him, but right at that moment, he felt helpless, something he never even considered feeling before.  He was having a conversational battle inside his mind over what was the right thing to say or not, or whether he should say it or not.

_Why did I come here?  I can't help anyway. Damnit._

"Ksshhh…Don't cry." He said at last in his usual low rough voice.  She lifted her head and looked straight into his eyes.

Kaidoh was taken aback for a moment, because no girl had ever looked in his eyes before, since they were always scared of him.  The next moment she was burying her face into his chest and crying even more.

He flinched and felt himself stiffen.  He didn't know what to do in circumstances like this.  He didn't understand why she was crying, but it was probably something she had to do, so he didn't stop her.  

As for Sakuno, she had never felt so lost and alone before.  Ever since her accident, people and places were a blur.  She didn't feel like she belonged at all, but she had been trying her hardest to remember them.  After trying so hard, she tried to build new memories to compensate for her lost ones.  She had avoided the thought that she might not ever be the same again.  She tried to be happy with what she had, because she was thankful that her life hadn't ended, but Echizen had reached deep into her heart and exposed what she had most wanted to ignore and forget; The fact that she had old memories at all.  

_I do want my memories back.  I really do, but I can't seem to get it back no matter how hard I try.  I feel so lonely without them.  I feel like such an incomplete person.  I wanted to rebuild myself, but I just yelled at him.  I feel like such …a bad person.  I don't want to be like that.  I didn't mean to be so harsh with him, and now I can't turn back.  Everyone is going think badly of me._

She felt Kaidoh place his hand on her head tentatively.

_Kaoru-nii…_

Sometime later she calmed down, and they decided to go home.  She crawled through the opening easily, but for Kaidoh it took more work than his physical training.  He was about halfway through when he literally got stuck.

"Damnit!" he growled.  Sakuno turned around and saw him struggling.  She began giggling.

"DAMNIT kid, don't laugh." He growled while struggling.  She continued laughing but when and slightly shifted the grass hole so that he could go through.

_Kaoru-nii can be kind of scary at times, but he's really not a bad person.  He's very caring and sweet.  I just wish that people can see that._

He got up and began walking.

"What are you waiting for, aren't you coming?" he asked without turning around.  She smiled brightly and ran to catch up with him.

"Nii-san! Ryuzaki!" Hazue called out.  He had been waiting outside Seigaku just for her appearance.

"Konnichi wa Hazue-kun." She greeted him.

"Let's go." Hazue said.

"Oi, where are you taking her?" Kaidoh asked.

"I'm walking her home." He said proudly.

"Come with us Kaoru-nii?" Sakuno asked, taking hold of his hand with her two small petite hands.

Hazue's eyes widened at her actions.  No one ever did that to him, no one dared to.

"Fine." He heard disbelieving his ears.  Not only did it shock him, but he felt rather disappointed that he wouldn't get to be alone with his Ryuzaki.

The three began walking towards Sakuno's home, except Kaidoh was trailing behind, because he was unsure where she lived.  Although Sakuno kept her conversations with Hazue going, she occasionally fell back in pace with Kaidoh to walk with the one person she admired.

Hazue became quite agitated that he couldn't hold her full attention, but they soon reached her house, so he returned back to normal.

"Ja, mata ne." she waved goodbye to them.  "Thanks for today Kaoru-nii." She said sincerely.

"What happened nii-san?" Hazue asked his older brother.

"Nandemo ne.." Kaidoh answered.

"Cmon.  Tell me!" 

"Nothing a sixth grader like you would know." It was something he usually said to annoy his little brother, but…

"Eh?! Sixth grader?"  Sakuno overheard.

"Yeh." Kaidoh answered her.

"I always thought he just went to another junior-high.  Mou…" she said.  She looked at the two boys that looked almost identical, except that Hazue was just a head smaller than Kaidoh.

_Shimatta__.__  She knows.  What if, because I'm younger than her, she won't return my feelings??_

"Neh Ryuzaki—" Hazue began.

"U-wah! Hazue-to!" she said smiling.

"Hazue-to?" he said blankly.

"Hazue-O-TOU-TO", Kaidoh spelt out to him. For some reason Kaidon knew this, even though he couldn't figure out how.  Hazue felt himself shatter.

_No. No way, she's considering me a little brother now.  This can't be happening._

_"_Ja!" she said again and ran into her house.

Hazue stood rooted on the one spot until Kaidoh called out to him.

"TE-ME ARE YOU COMING OR NOT!!!" Kaidoh growled growing impatient.


	5. chap 05

**Chapter 5**

"One set match! Momoshiro Echizen pair to serve!"

"Twist Serve!"

_Ku-so! What went wrong?! Why did she have to stand up for him like that?  _

"Fifteen love!"

"Twist Serve! Argh!"

_Who the hell is this Hazue guy?  How old is he anyway?  Kaidoh's brother.  He can't be older than Kaidoh.  Damnit who is he?  Where the hell did he come from?! Why is she so taken with him?!_

"Game 1-0.  Change court!"

_Who the hell does she think she is anyway?  Screaming at me like that?!  First she doesn't remember me, then she hates me, has another guy and now yells at me!_

**"**Te-me…Drive B!!" he smashed the ball hard.

_Why am I even caring about such a trivial matter!  Why does it bother me so much?  There's no reason for it to bother me!  _

_'It's because you like her, idiot'  another_ voice in his head alerted him.

_Kuso__…She's just a girl.  There's plenty of them around._

_'Yes there is, but you like her for a different reason.'_

_That's right.  She's different alright.  She's clumsy, and a klutz and slow.  She hates me, when others don't.  She's annoying and always stutters!_

"Zero Shiki!"

"Game 4-0.  Momoshiro Echizen pair has the lead!"

_'Don't forget beautiful.' _His other inner voice told him.  '_She doesn't annoy you.  She's quiet.  You feel empty when she's not around to watch your match.  She makes you soften.  Makes you think before doing unreasonable things.  She cares.'_

_She cared.  Not anymore._

"Twist Serve!.........Drive B!......Argh yarou!...te-me! Drive A!!!" he unleashed his anger through his racket.  Luckily for Kamio, he had the racket in front of his face before the Drive A could strike him in the face.

"6-0.  Momoshiro Echizen pair wins!"

Echizen walked off the court and slammed down on a bench throwing his cap off and replacing it with a towel.

"What's with him?" Kamio went to the net and asked Momo.

"Don't know." Momo shrugged.

"Te-me! He's your team mate!  Don't you know anything?!" the speed demon lashed out.

Ibu Shinji approached the net to join the two.  The three gazed at Echizen who was sitting and breathing heavily.

"He's totally steamed up.  He's like a demon.  Damn kid, where does he get all that energy." Momo muttered, but inside feeling worried for his friend.

_Ryoma__ you idiot!  You waited too long and now someone else has her.  Even worse she doesn't even remember you, and she hates you! Kuso! I don't care.  I've never cared before, I'm not going to start now!_

But he knew better.  He knew he cared, and he knew that when he was around her, he couldn't act the way he usually did.  He was a different person, just for her.

**_A little short, but nyah…I feel like stopping here. Ideas, criticism and reviews all welcome.  (Just not too harsh on the criticism plz n_n)_**


	6. chap 06

**Chapter 6**__

Echizen heard every little sound that happened behind him.  The dusters hitting the boards, the cloths wiping the tables, the soft footsteps and the quiet breathing.  It had been exactly two weeks and two days since Sakuno had yelled at him at the courts.  They had avoided each other ever since then.  He wanted to see her, to talk to her, but he felt he just couldn't find the right things to say, now that she hated his guts.

It had frustrated him and pained him.  It didn't hurt because she yelled at him, it hurt because she hated him.  He had been stupid enough to make her cry.  He couldn't stop cursing himself since that day.  They had successfully not talked to each other nor been in the same room alone until today.  For some reason they had cleaning duties in the class today, and there was no escaping that.

He was busy wiping the desks at the back of the room, while she cleaned the boards.  Echizen turned so he could watch her.  Her plaited hair swung as she stood on her toes to wipe the board.  

_I've never felt this way before.  It hurts to be hated, but it's worse to be forgotten.  I don't want her to forget me, ever._

He buried himself into his work.  If anyone saw him, they would have thought he thoroughly enjoyed scrubbing the desks by the way he was doing it.  He heard her delicate footsteps move down to the front desks.

_I want to talk to her. Damnit! What would she do?  I want to hear her voice talk to me.  I want her to look at me like she used to. Just when I come to my senses it all had to change!_  He continued to scrub away angrily until he heard the table shift and short raggard breathing.  He turned fast to see her trying to balance while swaying with her hand to her forehead.

He threw his rag on the floor and practically slid over to her, catching hold of her waist before she keeled over.

He froze with her in his arms.  He didn't mean to do that.  He didn't mean for that to happen but somehow they had connected, and now that he had his arms around her tiny waist, her back up against his chest, and the sweet smell of her hair just at his nose, he didn't want to let go.

Endless minutes passed and they remained still in that position.  

"Da-daijoubu?" he finally asked.

"H-hai. Arigato, Echizen-kun."  He eased her down onto a chair.  "Ano…"

"Wait here." He said and walked out of the class, leaving her confused.  He returned a few minutes later with a cup of water he retrieved from the infirmary.  He handed it to her and she took it with trembling hands.

He watched as she put her delicate lips against the cup and drank slowly.  He shoved his hands in his pockets, scratched his head, shifted around, did everything to distract himself from gazing at her.  Finally he just went to the back of the room and began cleaning again.

He heard her shuffling and decided to sneak a quiet look which he didn't carry out too well.  As soon as he saw her standing up and grabbing her rag, he yelled out at her.

"OI!"  she dropped her rag and turned to him.

"Na-nani?" she asked, obviously scared of his actions, for he changed much too quickly.

"Just…sit.  I'll do it." He said in a quieter, lazier voice.

_What's with him?  One minute he's nice, the next he's shouting, and then…_

He ran his hand through his hair and sighed with a smile at her shy manner.  Her eyes large and blinking, her tongue ran over to moisten her dry lips.

At that very moment, when he looked relaxed for once, his hair ruffly, a smile on his handsome face, Sakuno felt her heart pitter-patter.  Her cheeks grew warm as she blushed at her sudden thoughts.  He began to advance towards her slowly with that lazy smile playing on his lips.

_Why is my heart pounding so hard? It's not like I like him or anything._

He stood a short distance from her and they both gazed at each other for a few seconds. Then he reached out and pulled on her arm as if to pull her towards him, only when she was directly in front of him, he leaned down and said again.

"Just sit." Then he let go of her arm and brushed past her to pick up her rag that lay on the floor.

As he moved past her she felt the soft breeze that he created .  It ruffled her hair and cooled her cheeks.  As he stepped past her, she turned to gaze at him, her nose almost touching the sleeve of his white shirt.  She saw his strong jaw line that usually held an unsmiling face, and dark eyes that usually sneered at people.

She felt a surge of motion, a strange sensation running through her body. For a moment she had a deja-vu.  What just happened reminded her of something similar happening somewhere in the past.

_"Ryoma-kun"_

_"A-ano, ganbatte Ryoma-kun."___

_"Ryoma-kun.__  Ryoma-kun.  Ryoma-kun." _Tiny short filaments flashed through her mind.  She saw a flash of herself, she saw someone's back.  A boy, a boy who was wearing a white cap and had a racket casually hung over his shoulder.

"Ryo—ma…kun." Her lips formed those words without her knowing.  _Who was he?  I feel that he's someone significant, but who, and why?_

She sat down and watched Echizen work.  She grew tired and lay her head on the table and soon drifted off.


	7. chap 07

**Chapter 7**

Echizen tried to work fast so that they could leave soon because she was unwell, but then again he didn't want their time to end.  Finally he finished, and he emptied out buckets of water and hung up the rags in the store rooms.

He returned to the classroom, which was now gloweing a deep orange from the afternoon sun, soon to be sinking behind the mountains.  He retrieved his Seigaku jacket and draped it over her shoulders.  Then he sat down quietly in a seat next to hers and gazed at her sleeping face.  He rested his faced in the palm of his hand which was propped up on the table and continued to look.

He started from the top of her head.  Her hair which was long, smooth and a deep brown was coming apart from her plaits and trailed down her back.  Her lashes which were long fluttered and rested on her cheeks gently.  Her soft pink lips, that he wanted to touch was slightly open.  

It wasn't just her beauty that had unconsciously drawn him to her, it was something else, something he couldn't quite get a hold on.  He wanted something, he wanted someone, he wanted to do something, but what?

_I want to hold on to this feeling.  This person.  Everything._

"Echizen-kun?" Sakuno's soft voice jerked him from his thoughts.

"How long have I been sleeping?" she asked sitting up rubbing her eyes, and the jacket he placed on her slid down to her waist, exactly to the place he wanted to have his arms right now.

"Uh..um a while." He stammered from being caught staring.  "Let's go." He stood up and went to retrieve his bag.  She followed him quietly out the door, the building and finally the school grounds.

"Ano, Echizen-kun.  Your jacket." She gave it to her.

"You wear it, it's cold today.  Go on." He coaxed her when she looked at him with questioning eyes.  She gave him a small smile of thanks and quietly slipped it on.

"Ca-can I walk you home?" he asked in a gruff voice, but almost in a shy manner.

Sakuno nodded, and they fell into a slow pace.

Just before he dropped her off at her house she turned to him.

"Arigato Echizen-kun."

"Ii yo bestuni." He replied.  "Ja." He may have sounded normal with short answers, but inside he was almost trembling.

_How could it be that I can run 20 laps without feeling tired and sweating, and here I am with sweat forming in my palms and feeling drained just by walking her home?_

'Matte.  Echizen-kun, do you know a Ryoma-kun?" she asked him.

He jerked back to stare at her.

"Nande?" 

"I kinda of remembered something in the classroom with you before, and I remembered someone I used to call out to.  Ryoma-kun.  Ryoma-kun, was all I said.  I don't know who he is, or why I feel this significance for him." She used her foot to trace an imaginary pattern on the footpath.

"Do you really want to know who he is?" Echizen asked, not really sure why he was asking such a question.

"Yes.  Yes I do." She answered earnestly.

"What if I don't know?" he asked softly.  _If she remembered how badly he used to treat her, what would she think?_

"It's ok if you don't know." She smiled beautifully and gently.  "I'll just keep thinking about it, or ask as many people as I can.  Before today, I don't think I've felt this loneliness that I'm feeling now.  I didn't know who Ryoma-kun was after my accident, but now that I might regain my memory of him back, I really want to.  It's like a big hole in my heart if I don't find out." She said shyly.

He walked towards her slowly, like a dream.  As he drew closer, her heart pounded again, but she still couldn't understand why.  This time he pulled her to him.

For a split moment, time seemed to have slowed down.  Suddenly the micro seconds before she was in his arms seemed an eternity away.  And finally when she was in her arms, and nestled safely, warmth flooded through her small body.

_Whose feelings are these?  Is it mine?  Or does it belong to the girl that I used to be?_

"Forgive me." He said

"For what?" 

"Please forgive me," he repeated.

"E-echizen-kun.  Doushita no?" she voiced with concern.

"I'm sorry." He whispered.  She wasn't sure what he was asking for.  She wasn't even sure if he was talking to her at the moment, so she moved her arm around to the small of her back and took hold of his hand which rested that.  At the touch of her hand, he loosened his grip as if she had just chastised him.

She held his hand between hers while his other arm was around her still, and finally she was able to have eye contact with him.

"It's because I'm Ryoma.  Echizen Ryoma." He said before he turned and bolted off.

"E-chize--..Ryo---" now she suddenly didn't know what to call him, but he had already run off.  She was left feeling confused, and the feeling of warm liquid on her cheeks.  Her tears.


	8. chap 08

**Chapter 8**

_Why did I have to go and do that? Why did I hug her?  Why did I walk her home? Damnit why?_

Echizen ran and ran, not knowing where he was going.  He just ran.

_I can't help myself.  _

****

**_" I didn't know who Ryoma-kun was after my accident, but now that I might regain my memory of him back, I really want to.  It's like a big hole in my heart if I don't find out."_**_ She had said it.  She really said it.  I couldn't deny the happiness I felt when I heard her say it.  I couldn't stop myself from holding her.  I didn't want to stop myself.  Echizen you idiot.  Now you've gone and done it.  Baka yarou! She'll be scared of you now! She'll become cold and distant._

He stopped running and breathed heavily, sweating dripping down his brow and off his chin.  

_I can't deny it anymore.  I've denied it too long.  I've been a bastard to her too long.  What if she denies my feelings?  She's not the same Sakuno anymore.  She's not the same girl that used to like me.  I think she used to like me….but  I was to bone headed to acknowledge it._

He dropped down onto the ground.  Unknown to him, he had run to an empty basketball court.

**The next morning::**

Sakuno walked side by side with Kaidoh all morning since she saw him.  Instead of being chirpy and chatty like she always was, she was unusually quiet.  She hung her head low and dragged her feet.

Kaidoh tried to ignore the fact that something was upsetting her, and for a while that worked well.  Finally his conscience just kicked in and he began to feel uneasy.  For the past month or so, he had gotten accustomed to her bright little voice.  And also, he was embarrassed to admit that he felt brotherly towards her.  He'd never had anyone depend on him so much before.  Hazue went through the stage where it was nii-san this and nii-san that, but he grew out of it.  Something else that nobody knew was that he liked kids.  

Although Sakuno wasn't a little kid, she was only one year his junior, and older than Hazue, her state of memory loss, left her vulnerable and scared of many things.  She was on her quest to discover and experience everything yet again.  That's what Kaidoh was drawn to, in subtle ways.

"Oy..doushita." he asked.

"Betsuni." She answered and kept on walking.  He stared after her with his snake eyes and followed.

"Kaoru-nii, do you have a spare tennis racket?" 

"Nani."

"A racket.  I want to play.  Can I? Kaoru-nii." She turned to him with glassy eyes.

"S-sure." He pulled out an extra racket when they reached the courts.

Now Kaidoh never used to pay attention or see her play, but he had a feeling she wasn't great.

"Just this once please?" she begged him.  He gave in and followed her on to a court.  He gave her easy serves.  Many times she missed, other times she fell over.

He couldn't believe anyone could be so bad.

"Let's stop. Sa—kid." He said after she fell over once more. He wanted to stop partly because she wasn't returning his serves, but also because her hands and legs were getting grazed and bruised.

"No, not yet.  I'm not done yet." She said getting up.  This time there was this odd fire and anger in her eyes.  

Kaidoh shook his head but gave her another serve.  This time she chased the ball like mad and smashed it back at him.  It caught him by surprise and smacked him right in the chest.

He gave large coughs, and started laughing to himself.

_How ironic.  I'm having fun with this kid._

From that point on, every (easy) serve he gave her, she returned it.  If it didn't bounce in the court then it would be direction right at him.  She wasn't angry at Kaidoh, she just couldn't control it.

_With some proper training, she'll get better._

Finally, she began to enjoy herself.  She ran after the ball no matter where it went and tried to return it.  She was perspiring but she was laughing a lot.

_Girls, can never understand them. Cheh.. Hsshh._

When she hit the ball outside the court, Kaidoh took that chance to get the ball so she could have a rest.  He didn't understand why she didn't quit, because she looked really beat.

_Arigato Kaoru-nii.  I'm wasting so much of your time.  Not just today but all the other days as well.  I feel so lonely all of a sudden.  Since…that accident, the only person I can remember is you.  I know that you're not very fond of that idea, but I'm really fond of you.  I've heard people say that you're scary and a very cold person, but I can't seem to see it.  You're looking after me…aren't you?... but I don't feel like I belong anywhere.  _

_Echizen__ Ryoma.  I feel that he's a significant person in my life.  Was a significant person.  But I can't remember.  I feel something there, but I'm unsure.  After what happened yesterday, I feel that I'm even further away from recovering my memories.  Sakuno no baka.  You should be feeling closer to something at least!  But I feel….the more I grasp the more I seem to fall._

_Nande__ Echizen-kun.  Why did you apologise?  What happened before my accident?  Just when I feel that you're a really nice person, and someone…someone who stirs my heart the way you did, you uncover something that makes me don't want to know my past._

_I want my memories, but I don't.  I want to run away. I'm so confused!_

"Eh?" The ball flew right past her.

Kaidoh was bouncing the tennis ball, getting ready to serve again.

"Oy, what are you doing.  Pay attention." He said.

_I'm going to get rid of this worry.  I'm going to beat it out of my system.  It has to go!_

But the more she hit, the more anger she felt.  The more anger she felt, the more confused she got.  It was like her lungs were being filled up with air and she would soon burst.  She was unaware of her strikes, but they seemed to target Kaidoh more and more.

"OY KID! What do you think you're doing?" he asked when the ball hit him on the arm for the fifth time.  "Oy!" he called more gently and walked over to her side of the court.  She had tripped over and remained seated on the ground, facing down.

He squatted down next to her.

"Oy." He poked her shoulder.  Silent tears were dripping off her face, and yet she still avoided looking at him.  He threw his towel around her shoulder, then, seated himself on the ground more comfortably.

****

**"**Doushita, Sakuno." He asked, using her name for the first time.  She moved to bury her face in his chest and cried harder.

"Gomen.  Gomenasai Kaoru-nii." She sobbed.

_I don't understand it.  What's she sorry about?  Little kids are complicated._

The thing is, Sakuno didn't understand either.  She cried for everything.  Her fondness of Kaidoh, her apology for Kaidoh, for Echizen Ryoma, for the girl who she used to be, for the girl that she is, and for the girl that she wanted to be.

For once Kaidoh put his arm around her small shoulders and patted her back to soothe her.

***

****

**"**EH!!!!" Arai and his friends spotted the viper on the courts.  Arai smacked his friend over the head.

"Te-me!! What the hell was that for?!"

"What the hell is going on?  What's wrong with Kaidoh senpai?  This dream is getting to weird!!" Arai cried.

His two friends looked at him weird.  Yes, it was strange to see Kaidoh being affectionate, but damn what the hell is Arai going psycho for.

"Te-me, if you want to see if it's a dream, hit yourself." His friend muttered.

* * * * * * * * *

Thanks for the reviews everyone! Love them!  Hope you're enjoying it, somewhat.  

Cinpii – Hey you said that zero-shiki was Tezuka's move.  Yeah it is, but Echizen can do it as well.  I think first appearance of him doing it was ep…um 68 I think?  Right after Tezuka's game with Atobe. So yep yep.

Oh and a QUESTION

What do you guys think of my chapters?  I mean they're pretty long…PLUS my stories are long.  I've noticed that with all my stories (only a few I know) but they're practically more than 15 chapters.  Is that too much?  Would you recommend I make shorter chapters? Keep going as it is?  Or stretch them out REAL REAL long (my stories I mean).  Yeps well, opinions appreciated as always! Ja ne.


	9. chap 09

**Chapter 9**

Echizen sat in History class pretending to read his book, but all the while peering over the edges to watch Sakuno who was sitting two seats ahead and to the right of him.  She was quiet, which was usual, but not in the manner she was sitting.  She was slumped in her chair and her head was rested on her arm.  Her hair which were always in two neat braids, were frizzy.  Lucky for him, he sat some distance behind her, so it wasn't so obvious to steal glances at her.

_Kuso__.__  Is she ok?  _

"Ryuzaki." Ayanokouji-sensei called.  "Daijoubu desu ka?"

"Hai." She answered softly.

"You don't look very well.  You should go to the infirmary." He advised.

"Daijoubu." She said blinking slowly.  Ayanokouji-sensei looked worried but didn't push her any further.

_Sakuno__, what's wrong?  I know I shouldn't have said that yesterday.  I know I shouldn't have left you.  Are you okay?_

For the remainder of the morning he kept his eyes glued on her, despite the other females in the class noticing this.  They had all turned their eyes on the prince and admired him, only to see him staring at the only girl in the class that didn't seem to care about anything at the moment.

Recess came around and Sakuno went up to the rooftop of the school.

_The wind is so nice up here._ She stood at the edge placing her hands on the fence and stared over the school grounds. Then she move to sit right in the middle of the open space, enjoying the serenity around her.  All the crying that morning, made her tremendously tired.  She was now physically as well as emotionally tired.  She sat and stared at nothing, toying with the tip of her hair, and finally just tugged on it until the braids came loose.  Her hair rippled out nicely down her back and she fell back and stared at the sky.  

_It's moving so slowly those clouds.  The sky is so simple.  Why can't life be like that.  I'm still young, why do I have troubles like this?... Ryoma-kun._

She fell asleep with his name on her lips.

**After Recess**

Out of nowhere the sky had turned dark and rain was falling.  Echizen sat with his chin in his palm and gazing outside as the rain pelted against the window.  He was lost in his thoughts until he heard the teacher.

"Has anyone seen Ryuzaki?"  Echizen jerked to life.

"Tomoka-chan have you seen her?"

"Iie.  She wasn't with us at recess." Tomoka answered.

_Where could she be?_ In a flash he remembered the figure he saw at the rooftop.  He had wandered over to the pond behind the school, to clear his thoughts, and saw someone up there.

The bottom of his chair made a scraping noise as he pushed it back roughly and strode out of the room.

"Echizen…"Ayanokouji-sensei called.  Echizen ran up the flight of stairs until he reached the top.  He thrust open the door and immediately saw her lying out there.

_Kuso__! Did she faint??_

He ran out into the rain.  He shook her shoulders gently.

"Oi Sakuno.  Open your eyes.  Damnit open them please." He cradled her in his arm and continued to shake her gently.  

She mumbled something, and her eyes clenched tightly before she opened them slowly.  She gave a small yawn and coughed.

His heart released with relief.

"Baka! How could you be sleeping up here in this weather?" he asked sternly with the water running down his face.  He raised her into a sitting position.

"Gomen." She said quietly.  The rain didn't seem to bother either of them, as they stared into each others eyes.  She finally broke eye contact and brushed her wet fringe out of her face.

He ran his eyes over her.  Even in the rain her cheeks flushed a delicate pink and she looked beautiful.  His eyes moved lower and he blushed and turned away to hide it.  He didn't know how long she had been out there, but the rain had soaked her.  Her white shirt was apparently transparent showing her sports bra clearly.  Her blouse and skirt clung tightly to her body outlining her delicate developing figure.  He felt something stir inside him.

"Let's get out of here.  You're going to get sick." He got up and headed for the door.  He turned around to see if she was getting up.  His eyes widened at the sight of her legs giving way.  He ran to catch her before she hit the ground.

_Really Sakuno, you're the only person that ever worries me.  And you're making good use of that unknown advantage too._

He pulled her gently so that she lay on his back and he piggy backed her with ease down to the infirmary.

"Taihen.  She has a high fever.  I need to get her out of these wet clothes right away." The nurse said.

"J-ja." Echizen said and proceeded to leave.

"Matte." She called to him.  "You're soaked as well.  Plus your cheeks are pink.  It seems that you caught a cold too."

_I didn't catch a cold._  He was merely blushing and flushing from the fact of having Sakuno's warm body pressed against his.  With their wet uniforms, it felt as if there was almost nothing between them.

"Heh..where am i?" Sakuno's voice murmured.

"Your friend has brought you to the infirmary.  You passed out and you have a high fever.  Let's get you changed and rested." The nurse said warmly.  She ruffled around and found a spare girls uniform and handed it to Sakuno.

The nurse then pulled the curtain around the bed which Sakuno lay on and left the room to find Echizen some clothes.  Echizen stood with his back turned to the bed even though it was concealed, his blood level rose up a few level, just from thinking that Sakuno was undressing on the other side of the curtain.

He was sure that she heard his heart beating madly.  It seemed to beat harder and faster, from every movement that he heard her make.  He heard the ruffling of clothes and breathing.  He grew dizzy from breathing too hard.

"Maaa, your cheeks are very red.  Please hurry and change." The nurse handed him some clothes.  He looked at it and considered not taking it.

"Hora. Hayaku!" the nurse ushered him to the bed next to Sakuno's and pulled his curtain closed.

_Maybe I should just walk out.  I shouldn't be in here.  I'll be fine in my uniform._

He was about to leave his little enclosed area when a big sneeze caught him off guard.

_Damnit__, looks like I have to get changed after all.___

He unbuttoned his white shirt hesitantly, as his imagination began to play games on him again.  He remembered how delectable she had looked sitting in the rain, with her long dark hair framing her sweet face.  The wet clothes that had clung to her body……god…if only she knew how much that sight caught his attention.  Right now, only two thin curtains away, she was undressing just as he was.  He looked over his shoulder, and could see a faint silhouette of her back to the curtain and pulling on a blouse.  He gave a shiver.  He didn't know if he was cold, or just the sight of her enchanted him.  He was no peeping tom, he was just checking on her…right?

_Damn right I'm checking her out._ He gritted his teeth, and finished dressing.  He pulled the curtains open and was about to leave when the nurse came back.

"Young man, you turn around and head straight back to that bed.  I need to check your temperature.  The same goes to the little lady in there.

"Yada" 

"Ano…" Sakuno pulled opened her curtain and stepped out.  His eyes widened, but luckily for his fringe that covered his eyes, neither the nurse nor Sakuno saw his expression.  The uniform that she was wearing, was a bit smaller than her usual size, thus, a tighter blouse and a shorter skirt.

_These circumstances aren't helping me!!_

God knows how much she already appealed to him.  Surely the heavens above were testing him.

"Alright I'm going to take your temperatures now, so go lie in bed.  Young man, you are not leaving, before I've confirmed that you're ok."

"Yada."

"Ryo--..ano Echizen-kun.  Onegai." He heard _her_ voice speak up.  He lowered his head and walked back to his bed, dragging his feet.

The nurse smiled when she saw this.  _How cute.  _Then she busied herself with the thermometers.  After waiting for three minutes, she retrieved the thermometers from both students and looked at it.  She raised her eyebrows.

"Neh, Echizen-kun, are you really alright?" she questioned him.

"I said I was before." 

"Well apparently you're not.   You both are both running a fever, strangely, you're both at the same degree."  She looked over at Sakuno, who looked extremely tired, then back over to Echizen who sat looking flushed in the face. 

_Well he doesn't really look like he has a fever, but his temperature is definitely high._

"Alright you two, rest now, and take the rest of the day off." The nurse clapped her hands, then returned to her office just outside the infirmary.

He dropped on to his back and stared up at the ceiling.  

_Things couldn't be more out of the ordinary than today._

He glanced over to his right and saw Sakuno, who was already curled up and sleeping.  She wasn't that far from him, and he could hear her light breathing, and smiled to himself.  He shuffled his body to face her and continued to lie there and gaze at the one person he couldn't get enough of. 

He was more tired than he thought, and began drifting off.

"Ryoma-kun…." He heard her murmer in her sleep.  With that he fell asleep with a small contented smile on his handsome face.

That chapter was kinda long.  Sorry if it seems like I'm dancing around this story too much.  I can't seem to find a place to stop, when ideas keep coming.  Bear with me! 

Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu!!


	10. chap 10

**Chapter 10**

He didn't know how much time had passed, but when he opened his eyes, everything seemed to be same as it was before.  The same whiteness of the infirmary, the weather was still dark, but had stopped raining, and the sweet scent of the girl beside him.

He glanced at the clock up on the wall

_Shimatta__! Tennis practise._

He raised himself out of bed and slipped on his shoes.  He decided to have one last look at Sakuno before he left, since he didn't know how long it would be before he got the chance to watch her without being caught.

He moved to sit on her bed.  Her cheeks were pink making her face blossom with beauty.  Her lips was slightly open and her breathing even.

Inch by inch, his hand moved in to touch her face.  Something he never dared to do, but just this once, he couldn't hold back.  She was warm, burning up actually, but she had goose bumps on her arms.  His thumb and forefinger wandered down to her lips and he traced it tentatively.  

He took her hand and was about to tuck it under the sheets so she could be warm, but her small fingers curled themselves gently around his.

_One day, it'll happen.  It will happen._

He heard some noise behind him and quickly tucked her in snugly and sneaked out before the nurse saw him.  He ran all the way to the changing room not once stopping.

He stood panting and coughing inside the changing room.

"Deh!" someone opened the door and knocked him over.

"Oy Echizen.  It's only you.  Thought I hit buchou!" Momo gave a sigh of relief.

"Yarou." After they got changed they headed to the courts and began a heated tennis match.

After 15 minutes or so, Echizen began to lose his stamina, his vision began to blur and his head spinning.

"Oy Echizen, daijoubu ka?" Momo asked.

"Hai." 

"Really?"

"Hai Momo-senpai.  Let's continue. I'm about to win."

"Hah! Let's see about that."

As they continued, he became aware of the conversations around him.

"Hey where's Kaidoh-senpai today?"

"Heard he went to the infirmary to pick up Ryuzaki."

"Really?!"

"Damnit, don't even think about hitting me again Arai!"

"Hey, there they are."

Echizen stopped midway in his serve and caught the ball again.  He bounced it a couple times, to steal a glance at Sakuno.  She walked beside Kaidoh, wearing his Seigaku jacket.  Kadoh, as usual, walked with his racket tucked under an arm, hands in pockets and eyes closed.

He straightened up and looked at her, her eyes gazing straight back at him.  The jacket was huge on her, it went down way past the end of her little skirt.

_She looks cute, but she would have looked better in mine._

"Oy Echizen, are you going to serve or not!!" Momo asked going crazy on the other side of the court.

And so they continued their match, but after another 15 minutes, Echizen really began to lose it.  His head was spinning really hard.  All the shots that came at him were totally blurred.

"Jack Knife!----Echizen!!"

"Echizen!!" he heard Oishi-senpai call out.

His legs wouldn't move.  He blinked, his eyelids dropping slowly, his shoulders sagging.  He didn't even have enough energy to dodge Momo's move.  The only thing that saved him was the fact that he fell unconscious on the floor, and the ball knocked his cap off.

"Oy Echizen!" Momo jumped over the net and ran to his friend.  A group crowded around them.

"Momo.  Doushita!" Oishi came through the crowd and knelt down beside the unconscious boy.

"I dunno! He just collapsed!"

"He's burning up!" 

"Oishi-mama, what should we do?!" Kikumaru asked frantically.

"Mama?!!" Oishi asked.

"Seigaku's Mama." Everyone chorused for him to hear.

"Move over!" Kaidoh's voice growled.  Some students jumped at his voice.  But instead of Kaidoh stepping in, the petite little Sakuno pushed in.

"Arigato Kaoru-nii.  Neh Echizen-kun.  Echizen-kun!" she eased him up.  "You know you have a fever.  You're so carelessness. Mattaku!!" she said gently.

"Awww, mama, that's so cute.  Looks like o-chibi won't really need mama no more-nya."  Kikumaru said gazing at the two cuties.  He wasn't aware that he was teasing Oishi though.

"EIJI!!!" Oishi said with mock anger.  "Ryuzaki, let's take him to the changing room."

"Hai."  Oishi piggy-backed Echizen, while she followed.  But she ran back to Kaidoh.

"Arigato Kaoru-nii for helping me get in before.  Here, arigato."  She said taking off his jacket and handing it back to him.  

"Wear it." He didn't take it from her outstretched hand.  She shook her head. 

"You'll need it afterwards.  Hora! Hayaaaku!! Kaoru-niiiii!!" she purposely began to whine to annoy him.

"AH! AH! I got the point!!" he barked.  She laughed and ran off, but just before she exited the courts, she turned around and waved to him.  She stood there until he got the signal.  He raised his arm tentatively and waved back.  Then she was off again.

_Damn kid._ He thought but smiled to himself.


	11. chap 11

**Chapter 11**

"Ja yoroshiku Ryuzaki." Oishi said before closing the door to the changing room.

"Hai."  Oishi had laid Echizen on a bench, and Sakuno now kneeled beside him.

She jumped up to run outside to a nearby tap and wet her clean white handkerchief embroidered with pink flowers.  She came back in placed it over his burning forehead. 

_Was it him before?_

She stared at his handsome face.  When he slept he looked like an angel, but when he awoke all he ever did was sneer at people.  She smiled at him.

_But if it was him, that means he was awake then, and he couldn't possibly have done that…but if it felt like him.  Was he the one that I felt in the infirmary?_

Sakuno sat and gazed at the beautiful prince who lay unconscious on the bench.  Occassionally she reached out to wipe the sweat that formed on his face from his fever.  She suddenly remembered that his cap was left lying on the courts.  She gave him a glance before opening the door and rushing out to retrieve his precious white cap. 

After she got it, she rushed back in and closed the door behind her.  The air outside had been brisk and cold, and the wind had kissed her cheeks with a cool chill.  Now, standing inside the warm locker room, the warmth radiated through her body, and warming her cheeks making her cold run wild again.  She brushed the dirt from the white cap and sat, leaning against the bench gazing at the cap.

_"Mada mada dane."_

She whipped her head around to look at Echizen.  He lay unconscious as he had been.

Where had that voice come from?  She scratched her head in confusion and gazed at the cap again. 

It was just a cap, but she couldn't tear her gaze away from it.

"_Heeh__, you're unexpectedly good_"

Once again her mind was playing tricks on her.

_Who's__ voice is that?_

She rested her chin on her hands which lay on the bench.  In the many dreams that she had, there was always one hero in there.  Or so she thought it was a hero.  He never rescued her but instead he always turned his back on her.  He beckoned her to come in his elegant subtle ways which annoyed her at times.  He had ways of closing his eyes and shaking his head at her.  He was clear in the dream but when she awoke she couldn't make out his face at all.  She didn't know why she considered him a hero, because that person was far from a hero, but secretly, deep in her heart, she wished that this mysterious person in her dreams was real and could rescue her from the turmoil in her life.

She allowed her sleepy eyes to glide gently over Echizen's fine features.  He was handsome when he was a sleep, even more striking when his dark eyes were open, but all was lost when he opened his mouth and let those insulting words pour out of his mouth.

She frowned remembering how he had insulted her when she was lost in finding the courts.  Her eyes narrowed even more when her thoughts floated back to when they yelled at each other.  But her features softened when she remembered him in the classroom.  How he seemed like a totally different person then.  Futhermore, what happened after school was more unbelievable than she could imagine.  His embrace was unexpected, and she still didn't understand why he did it, or why he apologised.

The young prince mumbled and shifted around.  His eyes opened slowly and gradually his vision became clearer, displaying to him the person that captured his thoughts everyday lately.  She smiled at him and reached to wipe some sweat that broke out on his forehead.  He covered her hand with his own and tried to sit up.

"Da-me Echizen-kun." She said trying to ease him back down, but Echizen, being the stubborn person he was sat up although his head was reeling.  She moved to sit next to him on the bench while he clutched his head.  He stayed quiet for so long, she began to avert her gaze around the room and swung her legs back and forth.  Suddenly, in one swift movement he moved to stand up, only to fail.

Sakuno rushed to pull him by the waist back to the bench.  They both fell back on the bench tired.  She buried her forehead onto his shoulder breathing hard.  It wasn't easy trying to keep a guys weight up, and besides she was sick as well, but the heat from his body gave her warmth.

"Mou…Echizen-kun.  Sit still!  I'm sick too you know, you're making this harder for the both of us." She pouted.

"I'm fine.  Just go home." He shot at her.  She flinched.  "Just go home and rest." He said more gently not looking at her.  He finally noticed his arm that was casually hanging over her shoulder.  It set his heart going faster when he also felt his small arms around his waist.

_If I had enough energy, I'd pull her into my arms and ravish those pretty lips of hers…kuso! Even if I had energy I couldn't do that.  What the hell am I thinking?_

"Mou…when you first talked to me at the train station, I never expected you to be such a complicated person." She said, her breath tickling and giving a pleasuring sensation to his neck.

He was so lost in his reverie and bliss he didn't register her words.  _Trainstation__?!___

"Sa-sakuno!"

"Nani" She lifted her head to look at him, her face now only inches from his.

"Do you remember?  Do you remember me?" he asked with hope.

"Of course I remember you, Echizen-kun.  You asked me for directions…a-re..was it you that I saw on the train?  When did I go on the train…"  she looked away in confusion.

He gazed at her, a look of disappointment on his face.

"Gomenasai." She impulsively buried her face into the nook of his neck.  He leaned against the wall pulling her back with him.  "I'm confusing myself.  Echizen-kun.  Ryoma-kun.  I keep thinking that they're the same person."

"I'm Echizen Ryoma. Remember..?" he said referring to the other afternoon.

"Wakatteirukedo…you're not the same person I'm searching for." She said her face took on a confused look.

_But I'm Ryoma.  I'm the only Ryoma that you knew.  What do you mean?_ _I don't understand._

"It's complicated." She said as if she read his thoughts.

"If you can't find this Ryoma…will you let someone else replace him?" he asked, not understanding why he was asking such a strange question.

"Wakaranai…" she bit her bottom lip.

"Let me be the one to replace him."

_Ja__ – laters ( as in cya later)_

_Yoroshiku__ – I'm relying on  you (sorta thing)_

_Da__-me – You shouldn't / that's wrong (but in this sense it's "you shouldn't")_

_Wakatte__ iru kedo – I understand but.._

_Wakaranai__ – I don't understand / I don't know (it's more I don't know in my story)_


	12. chap 12

**_I'm sorry it's been such a LONG time such I updated.  School really got in the way…ahh lost most of the feeling I put into my stories .  Um…try n enjoy…ideas, complaints n normal reviews are always welcome! Buh baiz_**

**__**

**__**

**__**

**_Chapter 12_**

Sakuno stared at him her eyes wide.

"What did you say?" she asked him.  He leaned forward and looked at her seriously.  He turned her so that her upper body faced him.  He brought his face close to hers.

"Let me be the one.  You don't know when your Ryoma is going to come back.  Let me be the one to ease your loneliness."

_What is this feeling?  I feel shocked, and happy.  Extremely happy, but why do I feel guilty?  I know that deep down I'm really happy and want to accept this.  He resembles the hero in my dreams.  My hero, my prince.  But I can't accept him just because he looks like someone else….but I want to..Doushiyou…_

"Echizen-kun—" she was cut off when he pulled her head gently down to his chest and held her there.

"Don't be scared, don't feel guilty.  I don't expect you to be happy, just don't feel lonely.  Even if I'm not the Ryoma you're looking for, let me help you find him.  Let me take away that loneliness, even if it's just for a while." He said.

_No more lying to myself.  No more denying.  I'm going to accept her in any condition that she's in.  I want her!_

She sat trembling in his embrace.  Her ear was pressed up against his chest, and she could hear his heartbeat loudly.  He pushed her out gently.  Her heart began to pound.  He was looking at her with adoration, with something else his eyes that she'd never seen before.

_Such deep words.__  I can't believe he's so young and he has so much wisdom.  He's beyond his age.  _

She felt a chill when his warmth wasn't there anymore.

"Answer me, when you want to." He moved to stand up now that his headache wasn't as bad as before.  He picked up his cap and left the room.  She sat stunned for a moment.

_What am I thinking?  I am attracted to him.  I hated him at first, but I feel this attraction, this connection to him  He wants to be with me…_

She stood up and ran out after him.  Her small footsteps reached him, and she hesitated a second before reaching for his hand.  He stopped and turned around to see her looking at the ground blushing, and clutching on to his hand.  He gave her a dashing smile and pulled her into his arms.  She wrapped her arms around him and shivered.

The two stood in each other's arms for a long time, creating a perfect picture.  Echizen was happy, but felt saddened because he knew that she would be holding back because he wasn't "the Ryoma-kun" she was looking for.  He should be extremely happy knowing how much she treasured him before she lost her memories……but what if her memories never returned?  She would forever hold onto that Ryoma.  The person that she had loved would be by her side all the time, but she wouldn't know.  She would continue to think that Echizen Ryoma was someone else.

"I'll be here for you.  Always.  When you miss Ryoma, just come to me.  Hold me and think of him if you want, just don't keep it inside of you."

_He's too nice.  Why?  Why would someone like him treat me so nicely?  What have I done to deserve this?  I yelled at him and ignored him, why?_

"That's unfair…that's too unfair Echizen-kun." She spoke into his chest.

"It's not unfair.  Sakuno…call me Ryoma."  She looked up at him.

_Ryoma__?__  I know that his name is also Ryoma…but I just can't…_

"It's ok.  Don't worry about it." He said still smiling, but she could see some kind of pain in his eyes.

"Gomensai Ryo—Echizen-kun."

_It's strange.  I'm smiling at her.  It's not a fake smile, because I really am smiling, but it feels pasted on.  I'm finally with her but her heart belongs to…me.  The me…Ryoma that she doesn't remember.  It'll work.  I've never felt like this towards anyone, nor have I ever done anything so grave…I'll make it work, somehow._

"Neh, Echizen-kun…can we go home?  It's cold." At that she gave a sneeze.  He removed his Seigaku jacket and gave it to her.  After he motioned her to put it on, he tentatively touched her fingers, silently asking for permission.  She replied by grasping onto his hand.

It was the blossoming of new love.  Such simple and delicate actions were new and special to them.  It turned the boldest and an open-minded person into a shy and quiet individual.

Out in the distance a pair of snake-like eyes surveyed them.  The person turned around in anger.

"This isn't over yet.  Not by a long shot."


End file.
